Carmine
by Whimsical Fool
Summary: AU, It was a vow to protect, not destroy. He never knew a simple promise could be used against him. He never believed in the saying "Blood is thicker than water". If he knew this was going to happen, he should have stopped caring a long time ago. If he had done that, then it would not hurt as much. Based off of Colored Scribbles's CH02 NavyRed: Assurance.
1. 00 amaranth I

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke. I will inform you if there are any OC's which is unlikely, since the series has such a large cast to play with.

**Warning**: This is not beta'd, so do expect mistakes here and there.

* * *

_00; amaranth_

**my life to you** |_ to you my life_

"Sei-kun, are you sure this is a good idea? Don't you think we're too young for something this big?" the pale boy asked as he held onto the end of his cousin's sleeve as the taller of the two led them down the dark staircase. One misstep and the two would be tumbling down the spiral stone staircase which quickly insured at least a week's worth of bruises. For a quick moment, the pale boy looked behind him before shrugging the uncomfortable feeling off.

The redhead turned around and patted his cousin's head, ruffling the light blue locks a bit, before taking his cousin's hand into his own, squeezing it in reassurance. "Tetsuya, when have I ever been wrong?" he questioned with a smug tone. The boy chuckled to himself as he turned back around. His attention was soon focused on the task at hand, squinting every now and then as the candle in his hand and the occasional moonlight were his only sources of light at the moment.

The boy named Tetsuya mumbled, "Never," to himself as he followed his cousin down the staircase. Reluctantly sighing to himself, he wondered where his cousin got his confidence from. Was it because he was a prince or was it something he was born with? The pale boy decided to go with the latter, because it seemed like no matter what his cousin was, he would still ooze the same confidence he had now. Sometime, he wished his cousin would share some of that confidence with him.

"Tetsuya, hurry," urged the redhead as he tugged on his cousin's hand. "I think I can see the door in front of us. We shouldn't keep the others waiting for so long."

"I still think it's a bad idea to do this when we're still too young," the shorter of the two muttered to himself. Nonetheless, he did not stop his cousin. There was no stopping the redhead once he wanted something.

* * *

The moment the wooden door was creaked open, all the heads in the room turned toward the source of the sound. Cautiously, they eyed the guests who entered the room with their hands hovering over their respective weapons. Even though they were not even of age to wield weapons, they were not oblivious to the fact that potential enemies could attack them at any moment. It was best to have at least a dagger on their body or some poisonous toxin.

"I didn't expect such an aggressive welcoming, but then again I wouldn't have chosen you if you hadn't," the redhead commented as he walked into the room with a smirk.

The children in the room sighed in relief as their hands moved away from their weapons.

A certain blonde quickly scrambled out of his seat and onto his feet, rushing over to where the door was located and wanting to hug the shorter of the two. "Kurokocchi!" he shouted but he stopped running when the redhead shot him a glare to zip his lips. "Ahaha… Hi, Akashicchi." The blonde awkwardly scratched the back of his neck as the redhead walked by him.

Akashi merely sighed at the idiotic nickname as he shoved his cousin into the blond before walking toward the circle in the middle of the room. He rolled his eyes when he glanced back. It was somewhat pathetic to see his cousin trying to pry the eager blond off of him. "Sometimes, I wonder exactly why I bother to hand around you people," he muttered.

"Akashi-kun, we're all here." A small girl got up from her cushion and walked over to the redhead, taking a hold of his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "We made sure no one was following us."

Akashi nodded in response before patting the girl on the head. "That's good to hear, Satsuki." He moved past her and took the seat located closest to the door.

The small girl squeaked in surprise before moving back to her seat with a small smile on her face. Once she settled in her seat, the tanned boy beside her gave her look which immediately wiped off the smile off the girl's face. "Why are you making such a disgusting face, Dai-chan?"

The boy gave a confused look before sneering at her. "Because I am looking at something disgusting," he answered.

The girl's face immediately reddened before punching her childhood friend in the arm. Seeing how he ended up on the floor, grabbing his arm in pain, the girl crossed her arms and nodded in satisfaction. "Stupid Dai-chan."

The boy on her other side sighed as he pushed his glasses up, muttering something about mixing with idiots. He felt a tap on his shoulder, making him turn and sighed once more as he pushed the bowl of snacks toward the purple-haired child. "Murasakibara, please do not leave a mess behind like last time. It took awhile to get rid of all the bugs," the child said.

Murasakibara looked up and nodded at the green-haired child. "I understand, Mido-chin." The boy scooped up some snacks from the bowl before placing them into his mouth. "But I still can't believe Mine-chin is stupid enough to tease Momo-chin like that," he commented.

The green-haired child nodded in agreement. "I still think Aomine likes Momoi."

The tanned boy instantly got up on his feet in embarrassment. "Huh? Is there something wrong with your head, Midorima? How could someone like me like someone like her?" He pointed a finger at the girl, not seeing the furious expression on the girl.

"Aomine-kun, please don't insult Momoi-san any further. Even if we're friends, I will not take it kindly if anyone insults my friends even if it's you."

Aomine turned to the side and slightly flinched at the sight of ice blue eyes glaring at him. "Fine… Just stop glaring. It's freaking me out." The tanned boy settled back into his seat, muttering a quiet apology to his friend.

Momoi smiled in response and looked to the pale boy in admiration. "Thank you, Tetsu-kun."

The pale boy shook his head. "It's no problem. Aomine-kun was in the wrong."

"Eh? Aominecchi was in the wrong?" The blond was still attached to the pale boy's arm despite the latter still trying to pry him off.

"Yes, Kise-kun," the boy gave up trying to detach himself from the blond. Instead, he turned his attention to the only girl in the room. "I think Momoi-san is very pretty and will be even prettier in the future."

Despite his deadpanned expression, Momoi squealed with glee in her seat, causing the boys sitting next to her to squirm in irritation.

Akashi chuckled to himself as he thought how his cousin would fare in the future, especially with women. Seeing how all the commotion calmed down, Akashi took control of the situation. "Ryouta, release my cousin so we can get started," he ordered." We're wasting time."

The blond let out a whine but eventually released the boy in his hold.

Akashi patted the cushion to his right, motioning to his cousin to sit next to him. With his cousin sitting comfortably next to him and Kise settling into his spot in the circle, Akashi looked at each of his friends before turning around and grabbing a chalice that was situated on the chest behind him. He placed the cup in front of him and looked to his cousin, who gave him a bottle of wine.

What were a couple of kids doing with a bottle of wine in the middle of the night?

* * *

Akashi poured the colored wine into the chalice before sealing the bottle with a cork. "Okay, if there's anyone who wants to back out now, I will not hold it against you." A pair of crimson eyes darted from one person to another as a small smile spread on his face when no one moved. "Okay, let's begin our oath."

It was the perfect time for an oath to take place. The moon was their only witness as its light illuminated the dark room, giving the situation a mystical feel. The room was once used for a place for the king to gather his knights and make them swear his life to them. Now, the room was being used for the future heir to gather his knights and make an oath to them.

"I, Akashi Seijirou, swear to every person who drinks from this cup on this very night that I will never let any one of you die. And if any one happens to die, it will be my hand and my hand only. Natural death will be the only exception when we're all old and rusted." Looking at his friends, Akashi raised the cup above his head and then brought it down to his lips, taking a sip of the wine. The bitter taste evaded his taste buds but he casted the thought away as he passed the cup to his cousin.

One by one, each one of them drank from the cup. Some were rather amused to their friends' reaction when they drank from the cup.

None of them were particularly bothered by the fact that it would be Akashi that would slay them. Even if the boy did not admit it, he was rather protective of them, no, to be more precise, he was rather possessive of them within reasonable terms. He did not like sharing unless he had to. The only thought that occurred to them was that the only way they would die by his hand was if they were to betray them and none thought they had the resolve to commit such an unthinkable action.

Before Akashi could take the chalice from Murasakibara, the cup was whisked away from his hands and brought to someone else's lips.

The boy licked his lips of the wine before tossing the empty object into Akashi's lap. A smirk decorated his face as he looked down at the kids' reactions toward him. Every one of them was glaring at him, but only one remained still in his seat despite the death promise in his eyes. "What's with all the mean looks, you guys? Aren't you happy to see me?"

"No one invited you here, Haizaki-kun," growled the pale child. It was uncharacteristic of him but at the moment, it seemed just right.

The grey-haired child looked at the pale boy with a smirk. "So? Ever heard a party-crasher, Tetsuya? Who would want to miss out on such a promising opportunity with the young heir?"

"Don't you dare call him by his name, Shougo," Akashi ordered. "Get out."

Haizaki merely laughed at Akashi's protectiveness over his cousin. "He's going to be your downfall, young prince."

"Get out," Akashi repeated as he pointed to the door. He was not afraid to spill blood if Haizaki dared taunt him any further.

"Gosh, you seriously can't take a joke." Despite his words, Haizaki still wore a smug expression on his face before exiting the room. Before anyone could relax, Haizaki popped back into the room. "By the way, if you're trying to be secretive, try not to be so loud." The boy howled in laughter as Aomine tried to get him but Momoi held her friend back.

Akashi let out a sigh before looking to his friends tiredly. "I should have been more careful," he muttered. He closed his eyes as he rubbed his temple. Opening his eyes, he caught sight of the chalice in his lap. Eyeing the object for a second, he took hold of it before flinging it into the middle. "Damn it!"

"Sei-kun…" The pale boy looked at his cousin in concern but did not attempt to touch the infuriated boy. He was afraid that his hand would be swatted away so he resorted to grabbing the ends of his shirt.

He knew why his cousin was so angry, angry at himself. The oath was meant for them, from him. Akashi was someone who never went back on his word, never. So when Haizaki drank from the cup, it meant that Akashi had to extend his promise to protect the boy even if he did not want to.

Akashi took a deep breath before looking up at his friends, not surprised to see worried expression worn on their faces. "Let's go back up to the castle. We shouldn't be out too late."

Each child looked at each other hesitantly but eventually they got up one by one and walked up the staircase. Akashi had moved aside to let his friends through. He did not care if they saw him in his moment of weakness but he will never let anyone see his tears. He had buried his head into his cousin's back, trying to hold back the cries gathered at the base of his throat. He wanted to lash out at someone but could not. He did not even shake off his cousin's hand when the pale boy took a hold of it and led them out of the hidden room.

* * *

"Sei-kun, are you still awake?"

Akashi opened his eyes and sighed. He sluggishly turned on the bed and faced his cousin. Tired crimson orbs met with worried ice blue ones. "Yes, what do you want, Tetsuya?"

Ever since they got back to his room, the first thing he did was climb into the bed and hide from the world, kicking his shoes off as he fumbled around in the sheets. He could feel the disappointment in himself spread like some viral disease. It was a disgusting feeling. It sent chills down his spine as he thought of protecting Haizaki. The thought was revolting.

Despite his defeated state, Akashi was surprised to see his cousin's eyes filled with such resolve. "Tetsuya?"

"I want to make an oath with you, Sei-kun." The pale child looked at his cousin with searching eyes, waiting for any signs of no. When he was only with silence, the pale boy took that as a yes. He knew what happened was still troubling his cousin, so he figured that maybe his oath to the redhead would help ease the disappointment even if it was little bit.

"Tetsuya, you don't have to do such a thing," but his words ended up on deaf ears. He knew that his cousin was trying to cheer him up but he was too irritated to hear anything else. If his cousin said anything about risking his life for him, he could foresee him kicking his cousin off the bed.

"I, Kuroko Tetsuya, swear my life to Akashi Seijirou." The pale child took his cousin's hand into his own and kissed the knuckles and then the fingers. He looked up at his cousin with a small smile. "Even if I have to throw away my life, I will protect Sei-kun." The child waited for a reaction. Seeing that there were none, he slowly shuffled closer to his cousin, taking him into his arms.

Akashi just stared at his cousin the entire time, not realizing that he was already wrapped up in a hug.

He had first thought of kicking his cousin off the bed the moment he heard the oath, but the actions and the words that came after it prevented him from doing so. A kiss on the knuckles meant utmost loyalty to the receiver while a kiss on the fingers meant that he could control his cousin in any way he wanted to.

Slowly but surely, he returned his cousin's hug through unsure at first. A fierce yet protective gleam wormed its way into Akashi's eyes as he felt his cousin fall asleep in his arms. "I won't let you die, Tetsuya. I will never let you die."

It was a promise between the two cousins to each other.

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.

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.

However, fate was cruel, very cruel indeed.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Well, this little idea has been bothering me for quite some time now. I still have other stories to prioritize, but I could not help it and gave in to the temptation. With that being said, I actually some time away from the KHR fandom to recollect my thoughts for my other stories. Therefore, I apologize if it gets a bit choppy between sections.

If anyone has any questions, then please do not hesitate to ask. And before I forget, I like to thank you for reading and please review.


	2. 00 amaranth II

_00; amaranth_

**to be hypocritical** | _to be authentic_

It had only been a couple of months since Akashi made his oath to his friends and that dreadful Haizaki. For the time being, he ignored the fact that Haizaki had partaken in the oath and pushed it the far depths of his mind. He decided he did not need to protect that fiend to the same degree he would with his friends.

Soon, however, he found himself scowling once more when his parents suddenly shipped his friends back to their respective homes and enrolled, more like tossed, him into some private school in the countryside.

He could never fully comprehend how adults were convinced that they had absolute control over children just because they were experienced with age. He scoffed at the excuse. He had seen plenty of children act more mature than the adults in the high court. He decided it would be something he would understand in the future, though the more he thought about it, the more he was convinced that was not the case.

Being at such a prestigious academy had its benefits and faults. The education supplied was something to be grateful for. He was learned more than he ever could back at the castle and it helped that the teachers were not particularly biased like the tutors assigned to him.

Besides that, everything else was perfectly bland. He was so used to his rambunctious life back at the castle when he was studying with his friends. Nevertheless, he could not blame the students here. There were sons and daughters of officials and royal families, so there was always some political tension in the air. One wrong move, and there goes a possible diplomatic association.

Moving down the lists of faults of attending said institution, students, even teachers, tried to win his favor since he was a prince. It as a static routine everyday; he had to resist rolling his eyes at the folly being spouted out of their foolish mouths. They swarmed around him as if he was a flower and they were bees. Still, he pitied those in the back who were too reserved to approach again.

There were those who caught his eye, but his interest instantly left as soon as it came. He had to admit it was interesting to see these people do his bidding time to time but at the same time, it was sad to watch them kiss up to him: a child, barely yet a grown man.

Just how far would people go to satisfy their ambitions?

* * *

One day, there was a knock on his door. For a moment, Akashi contemplated on whether to open the door or not but decided against it. People in the dormitory knew he did not like to be disturbed so they rarely came to him when he was in his room. Whatever or whoever caused the knock must have been by accident. Again, he heard a knock, this time, it was louder and he could hear his name being muffled by the door.

Sighing for the nth time, Akashi got up from his desk and walked over to the door. Not bothering to ask who it was, Akashi opened the door and was greeted with the sight of a brunet in front of him. If anything, the relaxed posture and the lop-sided grin, the boy in front of him was either an idiot or a laid-back fellow. "May I ask what I can help you with?"

The brunet blinked a couple of times before registering that the occupant of the room was talking to him. "Ah, sorry. I'm kind of nervous, first day and all. You are Akashi, right?"

The redhead lifted one of his eyebrows before nodding his head slowly. "Yes, I am," he answered cautiously. "What business does a new student have with me? If you're looking for your room, I don't mind helping you with that."

"Oh, that's good then," the brunet chuckled good-heartedly as he scratched the back of his neck. "By the way, I'm Kiyoshi Teppei, a second year in the third division. I'm your new roommate."

For the following couple of days, Akashi was somewhat surprised that he was not annoyed by Kiyoshi's presence. It was more like he actually enjoyed it. The brunet proved to be more than just an idiot. At times, Kiyoshi was rather clueless and forgetful but at other times, he proved to shockingly insightful.

There was one question constantly hovering over Akashi's head. Who exactly was Kiyoshi Teppei? From what Akashi was told, he was not supposed to dorm with anyone. For one, he was a prince and anyone he could have possibly paired up with could have been a potential enemy or harasser. And if he was going to have a roommate, then administration would have asked him first before leading the brunet to his door. And within a week, he got an answer.

"Teppei, who are you?"

The brunet looked up from the book he was reading before sitting up cross-legged. "Kiyoshi Teppei?" he answered with a slight confused look on his face.

Akashi sighed as he shook his head in disagreement. "No, what are you? We've been roommates for awhile and I feel like you know more about me than I do of you, so tell me more about yourself."

"Oh, why didn't you say so?" Kiyoshi closed his eyes and started to think about what he should tell Akashi. "I'm a knight-in-training. I'm from Teikou, specifically the Seirin province. I have a mom and a little brother?" Kiyoshi figured that was enough for the boy sitting across from him. "Unless you want to know more?"

Akashi was not surprised by Kiyoshi's bluntness. More or less, he tolerated it. "I'm sure even if you're what you say, you do not have that much power to influence the administration to make you my roommate out of all people. Not that I mind, of course."

Kiyoshi barked in laughter as he leaned back against the wall behind him. Akashi was really someone who did not beat around the bush just like a certain someone. Their similarities were just uncanny. "I don't take offense to that. I would be suspicious as well," he responded with a grin. "If you're thinking that I'm a spy for some official back at Teikou, be rest assured that I'm not. I'm just here to look out for you. She was right about you though."

Akashi's face twisted in confusion. As always, Kiyoshi would be one of the very enigmas in his life, waiting to be solved. "Who are you talking about?"

"Your aunt, she sent me to look after you and boy, was she right. You are way too mature for your age."

Akashi's eyes widened before softening, sighing in resignation. Only his aunt would do something like this. His parents would have never bothered. "That woman should really take care of herself before thinking I need to be watched over."

Kiyoshi lied back down on his bed and resumed reading his book. He did not disregard the soft tone in Akashi's voice and wondered how Akashi turned out the way he did. Turning his head slightly to the side, he did not miss the fond expression on the boy's face. "So you can make that kind of face as well, huh, Akashi?" He could not resist making fun of the boy.

Akashi instantly glared at Kiyoshi, who just laughed it off, and decided to leave the brunet be. He would rather have a companion that poked fun at him rather than someone who was submissive.

* * *

The scenario had been ingrained into his mind ever since he learned how to think independently and there were plenty of constant warnings, but still, it shocked him all the same. The whole ordeal felt surreal but he knew it was bound to happen one day; if not today, then surely the next. Politics were always associated with corruption. It did not surprise him that there were such people roaming the world.

His parents were killed in a failed coup d'état, however, life went on as usual with him. He was not particularly connected to of fond of his parents.

Kiyoshi had to leave his side for the time being and told Akashi that he would return to take him back to the castle for the funeral procession.

So, he was back to being alone in this large school. Regrettably, he grew used to Kiyoshi's presence that now, he was itching to walk out of the classroom without turning back on his heels. Having royal blood was a pain. People were coming up to him, trying to console him of his loss. Instead of sympathy, all he saw and heard was hoards of masks and words of conceited pity.

He never liked his parents, though he did hold his mother in higher regard than his father. She was always flipping back and forth between emotions so much that he became indifferent whenever she showered him with affection. From what he could perceive, that affection of hers was rather forced as if she was trying to atone for something. The only connection he truly shared with them was that he was a product of their martial union; nothing else, nothing more.

He was told that the moment he was born, he was shipped off to his aunt to be taken care of. His parents barely paid any heed to him. To them, he was only a tool for them to use and insurance if they happened to die. All in all, he was an instrument for the people around him to use.

_"Blood is thicker than water."_

Ha, such folly. The saying revolted him. It was an insolent little phrase that had nothing to do with him; never did, never will, and he was not going to start anytime soon.

In any case, he was somewhat grateful toward his parents for forcing his friends and him away from the castle. If they had not left, then they would have been lying in their own pool of blood instead of being alive. Resigning himself to his incoming chaotic life, he figured he could force a tear or two to appear at the funeral. It was the least he could do for these people.

* * *

Within a span of two weeks, Kiyoshi had come back for him. The brunet had dark circles under his eyes and it looked like he did not catch much sleep these past couple of days, but Akashi decided to keep it to himself. Apparently, being a knight-in-training was much more difficult than he thought.

"The way you look at me is irritating, Teppei," Akashi commented as he drew his attention away from the scenery and looked at the brunet sitting across from him in the carriage. "I had enough of people pitying me. I find it quite sickening."

Kiyoshi forced a chuckle out of his tired body. "I'm sorry, it's just everything has been so taxing lately. The castle has been quite in a state of confusion for awhile." He leaned back into his seat and looked out the window, crossing his arms across his chest. "Ne, Akashi, do you want to know more about my family?"

Akashi raised his eyebrow in response. "Alright, if that will help ease your mind a bit. You have a mother and a young sibling, correct?"

"Yeah, I was not entirely honest to you about that," Kiyoshi admitted solemnly. "I'm actually adopted."

Akashi merely nodded. "I see…" He could not understand where this conversation was going. "Well, you can say I was adopted as well. I see my aunt and my cousin more as my family than my actual parents."

Kiyoshi tiredly smiled as he looked back at Akashi. "Then you can say that we're related. Your aunt actually adopted me. I don't think she would have sent just anyone to look after you, right?"

Akashi's eyes flickered in surprise but contained his shock. Well, that would explain why he was so comfortable being with Kiyoshi. In more ways than one, the brunet acted like his aunt at times. Soon, an amused glint appeared in his crimson orbs as he buckled over in his seat, bursting in laughter. It made sense. Everything made sense now.

Kiyoshi was slightly taken back by Akashi's reaction. He was somewhat irked since he was tremendously tired but he did not reprimand the boy for his reaction. It was possible that the redhead finally cracked from all the pressure and tension. "Is there something the matter?" he asked in concern.

Akashi eventually stopped laughing when he heard the soft tone in the brunet's voice. He was bothered by it but there was still amusement dancing in his eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude. It's just that you've proven to be quite in interesting person, Teppei. I thought you were familiar but it did not occur to me until now. You're that slave my aunt took in, aren't you? Because she saved you, you're willing to do anything she says, right?"

Kiyoshi looked away from the window and uncharacteristically had a slight frown on his face. "Does my background amuse you or something?" he asked tiredly, ignoring the redhead's second question. The young prince was just as straightforward as ever.

"Not particularly. I don't like to judge others by their past. Some information would suffice but other than it, it would cloud judgement. I think the present is much more important and you make a good example. Someone who was about to be enslaved is now someone who is now rising through the ranks."

Kiyoshi gave a small smile but shook his head. "No, please don't compliment me. I don't deserve it."

Akashi shook his head, somewhat irritated that the brunet did not accept his compliment. Not many received them and he did not give out many. "No, I must. From what I heard from Tetsuya, my aunt is now not as down as before because a boy she took in. I'm quite fond of my aunt, so it calms me that she is doing better now. She is such a delicate woman." Any hint of amusement was erased from his face as he bent his head forward in a slight bow. "I would like to thank you for taking care of me, my aunt, and cousin thus far. It is nice to know that there's someone like you by our side, Teppei."

Kiyoshi inwardly grimaced at Akashi's words as he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "You should really stop that and lift your head. I don't deserve it."

Akashi sighed at Kiyoshi's modesty as he lifted his head. He could see how his aunt influenced the brunet. "I give credit when it's due," Akashi justified, "I'm not that egotistic to not appreciate good work when I see it."

Kiyoshi sighed as he looked away from Akashi, staring out the window with a serious, solemn expression. "You must really stop complimenting me. It's nice to know what you think of me, but I don't deserve any of it."

Akashi let out a low growl in reaction. Not once had met someone as difficult as Kiyoshi. Did the brunet really have that much low of self-esteem? "And exactly why's that?"

"Your aunt has passed away… and your cousin has been declared missing."

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And that was just part of the beginning.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Ah, I have to apologize to my readers. I was going to update last week, but I managed to hit a wall since this chapter was going to be much longer but the second part proved to be too much, so I had to split it into two. I was going to add some fluff, but it's not working for me at the moment, gah...

If anyone has any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. If anything, thank you for reading and please review.


	3. 00 amaranth III

_00; amaranth_

**to be in distraught**_ | to be in comfort_

_...10 YEARS LATER..._

The blonde scanned the contents of the parchment before eyeing the trembling brunet kneeling before her feet. She knew this day would come but she did not think it would come this soon. She had spent many sleepless nights contemplating over her decision and steeling her resolve.

Closing her eyes, she crossed her legs and brought a hand to her forehead to rub her temple. She hoped her son and his friends did not mind her decision. If anything, she hoped the consequences that came out of her decision would befall on her instead of them.

She finally opened her eyes and looked down at the shaking brunet with apathetic eyes. "Messenger, it looks like it will be early, but I will attend the ball being held at your country next month. Just tell that redheaded prince of yours that we will be holding our alliance meeting early. That and I will be bringing the ambassadors with me."

The brunet flinched at her indifferent tone but nodded. He slowly stopped trembling as if a heavy weight was lifted off his shoulders. "Thank you, Your Grace."

The queen inwardly cringed at the formality of her title but nonetheless smiled in response. "No problem, I just hope my whimsical attitude has not upset your prince too much."

The brunet smiled weakly. It was true that there were other messengers before him who came before the blonde asking for her reply.

Every time, she had said no, but the young prince was persistent for some odd reason. That very reason could be the fact that Aquae was the only country that would not be allied with Cruor. Even the late king and queen were unable to persuade the blonde to join their alliance. This also happened to the be the first time the blonde queen decided to hold an audience with the young prince. Then again, the reason why she agreed this time was because if she did not accept this time then the prince would personally come himself and ask her.

The blonde queen looked up from her seat and made eye contact with the two men stationed at the end of her throne room. She smirked to herself when she saw them suddenly tensed. "I have personal matters to talk about with the Cruor messenger. Don't come in unless I call for you."

One of the guards wanted to refute but the sharp glare from his queen sent his way made him cower. The two guards looked at each other before nodding hesitantly.

When the two towering doors were slammed shut, the brunet let out a deep breath he did not know he was holding in. Instead of kneeling, he resorted to sitting on his bottom with his legs stretched in front of him before pulling them in to sit cross-legged. He let out a small chuckle when he caught sight of the blonde queen slouching in her throne.

"What does that changeling brat have against me? Goodness gracious, it's like he can't take a no," the blonde complained, ignoring the fact that she was acting in an undignified manner for a queen.

Furihata awkwardly smiled as he listened to his childhood friend rant about his future king. "Alex-san, you have to stop calling him that. What if it slips out one day in front of said person?"

Alex simply shrugged. "I wouldn't care. It's a simple nickname. He's so outerworldly that it shouldn't bother him. After all, he's an _emperor_, right?" The blonde rolled her eyes as she sought out a more comfortable position in her chair. "Anyway, tell me. Did they find about my relation with you that they sent you out of all people?"

"Fortunately, no one has found out but Aida-san was quite boastful during the council meeting, saying that it would be her one of her men that will convince you to come to the ball…" Furihata shivered at the memory when his brunette captain picked him out of the crowd at random. She even tried to tell him to bribe Alex to go to the ball or else he would have to participate in certain activities that would surely traumatize him in the near future.

Then again, Alex was no better. He remembered she used to constantly shower him with her over abundance of affection. Nonetheless, he was not the only victim to her odd quirks. He did not know if he should consider himself fortunate since the blonde queen in front of him happened to be the same girl who would babysit him with two other boys when they were younger before he moved to Cruor.

"I see… Well then, it's time for my break, so is there anything else you need from me, Furihata?" Alex stood up from her throne and walked over to the brunet's side and held out a hand to help him off the ground.

Furihata snapped out of his train of thought and gladly took a hold of his friend's hand. Dusting the dirt off of his pants, his expression slowly became solemn. "There is one question I want to ask."

Alex noticed the tone of her friend's voice and became attentive. "If it's something I can answer, then of course."

"Were you being serious when you said that you would be bringing the ambassadors over?" Furihata was surprised at how struggled his voice sounded like.

"I did say that, didn't I…?" Alex looked at Furihata and simply smiled. "It looks like there's going to be one heck of a journey ahead of us."

Furihata's eyes widened. "Wait, are you being serious, Alex-san? I think I understand why you agreed to come to the ball, but is it necessary to bring him along with them? No offense, but it has been at least a decade since then and to suddenly come back now?"

Alex sighed, knowing that Furihata was trying to convince her to change her mind. "It was bound to happen anyway, I can't keep him here forever. His place is not here. He was not mine to begin with."

"But you think of him as your son, don't you?"

"That's exactly why. I was not the one who decided this decision. It was he himself. He wants to do this despite the dangers." She gave him a look that dared him to break her resolve. "I want to respect his wishes and I will not hesitate to help him if he wants it from me."

Despite seeing the sad expression on her face, Furihata could see that Alex was determined to go through with this. "Alright, but I don't know how the young prince would react…" he muttered to himself. He could imagine the entire royal council flipping over in shock.

"What happens, happens. There's nothing we can do about it."

Furihata sighed before looking Alex. He dug into his pocket and took out his pocket watch, flipping it open to see what time it was. "Well, I have kept you away from your break long enough. Until then, Alex-san?"

Alex smiled at her friend as she pulled him into a quick bear hug, smothering him into her chest. "I've missed so much, Furi."

Furihata blushed at his old nickname but nodded quietly. "I missed you too." When he was released from his hug, he gave her a quick, hesitant peck on the cheek before directing himself out of the throne room.

Alex continued to wave goodbye until the double doors were slammed shut once more. The smile dropped from her face and was replaced by a tired expression when she heard her stomach rumble. "Time to go get something to eat then."

* * *

As she walked down the corridor to find one of the servants, her eyes lit up when she caught sight of a small pup running up to her. It started to bark up at her until she bent down and scooped the small furry animal into her arms, laughing when it started to nip at her fingers.

"Ah, there was where she went."

Alex looked up from the small pup and beamed at the young man standing before her. He looked slightly disheveled as if he was running about looking for someone. "Were you looking for Azu?"

The teenager nodded as he slowly took the small animal out of Alex's grasp, sighing when he heard it whimper. "She got away when I was training with Kazunari."

Alex looked amused as she walked beside the young pale man down the corridor to who knows where. "I didn't know you were on a first name basis with Takao."

"We're not. I just happened to lose a bet to him."

Alex let out a small laugh when she saw a small pout on the teen's face. "Hey, let's go get something to eat. It's been a while since I last ate. You know what, we should go get everyone and eat together. It's been awhile since we last did that."

The teen stopped walking and looked at the blonde woman with concerned eyes. "Is there something bothering you, Alex-san? You seem rather distracted."

Alex tensed for a moment before sighing. This boy was really observant. "I just miss the old times. Plus, is it wrong for a mother wanting to eat lunch with her son and his friends without questions being asked?"

He looked at her before sighing, this time a small smile replacing his earlier frown. "Well then, let's go get the others."

Alex smiled as she walked up to the slightly shorter person and looped an arm around her son's as she placed her head on his shoulder, pulling herself closer to his warmth. "I'm so lucky to have you as a son, Tetsuya."

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The story can finally begin.

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**EXTRA NOTES:**

I don't know what to say but that I'm grateful to every individual who has read and reviewed my story. Just thank you for you are amazing people. The direction I wanted to take had to scrapped or else it would drag the story out even longer. So I decided that throughout the story, I will try to fill in what happened to our characters during that duration.

If anyone is wondering, there is two fictional countries starred in this story: Aquae with Alex and Cruor with Akashi as their leaders. If there are any questions you may have, then don't hesitate to ask. I'll try not to give away too much.

Once again, thank you reading and I hoped I didn't disappoint too much with this chapter. It's been awhile since I've done some creative writing since all I've been doing is analytic and straightforward non-fluff pieces of writing. Please review and tell me what you thought of it.


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